“I don’t want to quit school, or live a miserable life either. It would be a repeat of their lives.”
“You’re already more than they’ve ever been, beautiful.”
“Thank you, Kipton.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
Before we can discuss anything else, Cara’s rattling the door knob. “Sophie? Kipton, it’s my turn. Give her back.”
I snort, laughing at the way she’s turned me into a prized possession. Kipton rolls his eyes as a brother would. “She always was a pain in the ass.” He helps me up off the floor and walks me to the office doors. “Love you.”
I stand on my tiptoes to kiss him but he easily lifts me off my feet. I lock my legs around his waist and deepen his kiss. “Give. Her. Back!”
Kipton reluctantly sets me back on my feet. Slowly opening the door, Cara reaches inside like a caged animal that’s been set free. “Bout time, come on. Let’s go see your room. It’s connected to mine!”
“Wonderful,” Kipton murmurs. He mouths the words later to me. Like I’d ever be able to forget his promise.
I’m seriously living in a fairytale right now. From tree houses to mansions—I feel like Cinderella.
THE WEEK WITH KIPTON WAS amazing. The days were uneventful, yet absolutely perfect. We stayed up late watching movies, played board games around the kitchen table, and laughed. Laughter can easily be taken for granted, but never again will I wonder what it’s like to laugh so hard you give yourself the hiccups.
I thought it might be awkward pretending to belong to a family that doesn’t share any of my DNA. Much to my surprise, it’s fairly easy. Worried Kipton would end up feeling suffocated having me around nonstop, he never once said or did anything to lead me to believe he regretted the decision. Sucking up every second of happiness, I had a restless night last night as our vacation came to an end. If it was up to me, I’d put off going back to school for another week. But I have to face the facts and bow out of gymnastics. I dread the conversation with Coach Evans, but I can’t stay on the team knowing what I now know. I’ve had plenty of time to self-reflect on my decision. After lining up the positives against the negatives—the negatives took the top prize without a shadow of a doubt. It was time I left.
“You okay, babe?”
“Nervous, but I’m good. I really love your family, Kipton.”
He rubs his hand back and forth on my thigh. “You’re exactly what we were missing. I’ve never seen Mom happier.”
“It didn’t seem like you were ever missing anything.”
“Things seem complete now. Like you were meant to find your way to me.”
Complete.
Resting my head against the back of the seat, I decide to rip the Band-Aid off before I change my mind. “Can you drop me off at the gym. I’m sure Coach is in his office.”
Kipton hesistates. “Now? Don’t you want to get settled in your room first?” His dad was on the phone with the school the second campus reopened. He managed to get all the paperwork straightened out with financial aid for my loans to kick in at the start of the new semester. For now, I’d be given a grace period considering the special circumstances of forfeiting my scholarship. I’ll be able to stay in the dorm with Cara and life can go on as planned.
“Now’s as good a time as any. I’m dreading it, but it has to be done. All the paperwork with the Bursar’s Office is in the works.”
“Do you want me to go inside with you?”
“No.” I have to face him on my own. Just the two of us. Father and daughter.
Kipton forcefully exhales and squeezes the bridge of his nose. The same thing he does every time I stress him out. “Sophie, this is about more than just leaving the team. He’s your blood.”
“I know he is.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you? Just in case.”
“What do you think is going to happen? He can’t hurt me anymore than he already has.”
“I don’t want him hurting you any more either.”
I can’t go into his office upset so I don’t bother responding. Instead I wait for the car to come to a stop in front of the gym. “I’ll text you when I’m done, but I’d like to walk back if you don’t mind.”
“Sophie.” He definitely minds.
“Please, Kipton. I’ll meet you back at the dorm. I need to do this my way.”
“Fine. Call me if you need me and I’ll pick you up.”
“Thank you.” I close the car door with shaky hands. My legs carry me inside, but my mind is busy going over the speech I’ve been rehearsing for the past week. It’s all in there; I just hope I can get it all out without him stopping me.
The gym seems bigger after not having been inside for so long. The same smells of the chalk and sweat mix in the air. While they once comforted me, they now make me want to run.
Although most of the office doors are closed, the light radiating from Coach Evans’ office seeps into the hallway. Each step toward it brings me closer to the truth of my existence.
One, two, three knocks on the open door until I get the okay to enter. “Coach.”
“Sophie.” He stands up and points to the couch by the window. “Have a seat. I think we have a few things to discuss.”
Shuffling over to the sofa, we waste no time getting down to business. Though asked to sit, I stay standing while holding onto the arm of the sofa for support. “I’m leaving the team, which you probably already know. The office told me you had the official release papers here in your office. I’d like to sign them and be on my way.” Now that I’ve said the words, they carry so much more weight. I’m really giving it all up.
“Just like that? You’re quitting after all the years of hard work you dedicated to the sport. You’re so talented, Sophie. You have to know this is a mistake. One you will likely regret.”
“Gymnastics doesn’t make me happy anymore. Not since my eyes were opened to the truth. I have a lot more to dedicate my life to. Things that will give back to me and support me the way they’re supposed to without being asked.” It’s a roundabout dig at his lack of parenting, although unintentional.
“I understand your frustration. But you have the fire inside you, Sophie, to make something great out of this. You can be a winner; make the team stronger. There’s a place for you and I’d like you to stay.”
“You want me to stay? Or you want to win? Because the way I see it, you had twenty years to ask me to stay and you never did. From my point of view, this has everything to do with your success as a coach and nothing to do with me.” Now that I’ve spoken the words rattling around inside my mind, I’m feeling overwhelmed. I claim the edge of the couch cushion, not wanting to be any closer than necessary to him.
Coach stands up and inches closer. Kneeling down in front of me, he removes his glasses and pinches his thumb and middle finger in the corners of his eyes. Eyes that match my own. “Sophie, I made a lot of bad decisions in my life—I take credit for them all. But I did what your mother begged me to do. I had no choice.”
“Everyone has a choice.” Even me.
“That’s true, and hiding the fact that you were my daughter went against my better judgment, but it’s the way she wanted it. I had to do what she wanted.”
“That’s bullshit. You could have told her to go fuck herself. Who cares what she wanted. What about what I needed?”
“Sophie, I’m sorry I kept the truth from you when you came here. It was wrong of me. But I can’t do anything about it now any more than I could then. It was complicated. It’s always been that way with your Mother.”